News Releases

CLEVELAND – The Grand Rapids Griffins were dealt their first shutout loss 3-0 by Cedrick Desjardins and the Lake Erie Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday night.

Desjardins, the AHL leader in both GAA (1.49) and save percentage (0.952), stopped all 37 shots he faced. Joey MacDonald, who previously shutout the Monsters by the same scoreline on Nov. 2, saved 25 of 28 shots for Grand Rapids (12-13-1-2).

Lake Erie (13-14-1-1) had Greg Mauldin post a goal and an assist and, also got goals from Patrick Rissmiller and Justin Mercier to earn a split of the weekend series with the Griffins, who won 3-2 on Friday night.

The Monsters drew first blood 13:03 into the opening period while on the power play. Mauldin posted his seventh tally this season when he took a cross-ice pass from Tyson Barrie and, after darting in from the right point, let a shot go from the face-off dot that beat MacDonald, who was screened by Ryan Stoa.

At 9:33 of the second, Lake Erie pushed its lead to 2-0 with another power-play goal. Mauldin was again at the center of the play; he threw the puck on goal where the charging Rissmiller deflected it home for his first tally of the season.

Mercier added the final strike for the Monsters 1:32 into the final frame. Eric Hunter dug the puck out of the corner and, found an unmarked Mercier, who tucked his shot inside the left pipe for his fifth goal this year.

Soon after the Monsters’ third goal, Gustav Nyquist drew a penalty to give Grand Rapids a chance to salvage the game. However, the ensuing power play served to underline the frustrating night the Griffins had. Despite dictating play in the Monsters’ zone, they could not find a way through Lake Erie’s stingy defense, and when the Griffins did unleash the rubber, Desjardins was there to thwart them.

This Wednesday the Griffins will get a chance to even their season series with an Abbotsford Heat team that beat them 5-1 on Oct. 28. The mid-week face-off at Van Andel Arena is set to start at 7 p.m.